Peter Burke, Jr. was appointed as the Hyannis Fire Chief in Massachusetts in 2017.
Hyannis is a dynamic nine-square-mile census designated urban area with a diverse population which serves as the commercial, transportation, and healthcare hub of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Hyannis Fire Department provides fire suppression, fire prevention, advanced life support Emergency Medical Services, technical rescue, dive rescue and emergency planning to the community. Hyannis also maintains two fireboats year-round to support the extensive maritime economy. Hyannis has firefighters assigned to regional technical rescue, dive rescue, Urban Search &Rescue, and Special Weapons and Tactics teams.
Chief Burke is a technician and steering committee member on the regional District Hazardous Materials Response Team serving 103 communities in Southeastern Massachusetts. He is also an instructor and coordinator at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and has taught in the maritime, recruit, technical rescue, hazardous materials, and rapid intervention programs. Chief Burke is also an Adjunct Professor at Cape Cod Community College.
Chief Burke holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science from Providence College and a master’s degree in emergency management from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, where he was the recipient of the Jerry S. Parr award for excellence. He is a graduate of the Chief Fire Officer Program jointly conducted by the MA Firefighting Academy and UMASS Boston’s Collins Institute. He is also a graduate of the General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar and Leadership in Homeland Security Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Suffolk University Local Government Leadership and Management certificate program. Chief Burke received the first-ever FirstNet Authority Patriot Award at 5×5 2023 for his pioneering use of public safety broadband in Hyannis.
